The proliferation of compact disks (discs), also known as laser disks, in the form of music as well as CD-ROM products has become extensive. In recent years, recordable compact disks such as those produced by SONY, 3M, and KODAK have grown in popularity. Further, these disks are being used for archival data storage, immediate distribution of data, and for demonstration purposes. With this recent use has grown a need to label these disks once they have been produced. This is because once produced, there is no generally available visual method for determining the contents of a disk, without reducing storage capacity below the 680 MB of data or more, without external markings.
While manufacturers of large numbers of identical disks have their labels or identifying information painted, silk-screened or printed onto the disks, e.g., a layer of adherent ink or pigment is applied to the surface of the disk, this method is generally impractical for recordable compact disk producers. For small runs or those requiring immediate availability of the disk, printing or painting based methods of labeling take too much time, incur a significant setup charge, and require special equipment. Automated disk imprinting devices may be large and cumbersome, with bulk pigmented ink supplies generally favoring long production runs.
Another known method of labeling a compact disk employs a direct printing using an ink jet system onto the surface of a disk. These systems provide a special carrier for the disk, which is printed using a conventional ink jet printing apparatus. This method suffers the shortcomings of ink jet technology, including problems with the inks used, such as smudging, running, lack of scratch resistance on the disk surface, and the like. This ink jet printing technology is also relatively slow.
Ink markers may also be used to label disks, but this is unattractive and can cause damage to the disk by breaking down the coating which protects the disk. Permanent ink markers often include solvents in the ink. As a result, manufacturers such as Avery Dennison, Avery Division, Diamond Bar Calif., produce self-adhesive labels shaped like, and designed for compact disks. Improper placement of a label on a disk, especially with the advent of high speed, e.g., ten or higher speed data transfer (with single speed data transfer defined as the rate necessary to support CD audio), and higher information density disk recording technologies, such as Digital Video Disk ("DVD"), may result in read errors, or drive motor damage due to dynamic imbalance of the disk.
Prior to the activities of the present inventors, there was no available method or apparatus for assistance in the accurate placement of adhesive labels on compact disks.
Kodaka et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,654 relates to a method for forming indicia on compact disks. This method employs a molded impression from a "mother", and does not apply an adhesive label. Lexel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,464 relates to a hinged structure for pressing a marking onto a compact disk, and also does not apply an adhesive label. Sugaya et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,255, on the other hand, relates to an adhesive label marking system for compact disks. However, the labels are ultimately applied manually, without any apparatus for assisting in accurate placement on the disk. Hanna, U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,460 relates to an optical disk or phonorecord label having a hinged portion for individualized marking, which is apparently manually applied. Nakamura, U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,127 relates to a labeling system for 3.5 inch magnetic media encased in a rectangular plastic enclosure, and thus, while placing the labels in a desired location, do not place the label concentrically directly on the rotating media.